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Asian Voice | 20th February 2016
Ravichandran Ashwin spins India to series victory against Lanka Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets in their seriesclinching
Ravichandran Ashwin
ninewicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 international at Visakhapatnam's ACA-VDCA Stadium on Sunday. The off-spinner claimed three wickets in his first seven deliveries and finished with 4-8, best by an Indian bowler in this format, as Sri Lanka folded for 82, their lowest
total in Twenty20 Internationals. Chasing the small target, India romped home with 6.1 overs to spare to seal the series 2-1. Opener Shikhar Dhawan top scored for the hosts with an unbeaten run-a-ball 46 but it was Ashwin's guile that laid the foundation for India's comprehensive victory. Put into bat, Sri Lanka got off to a nightmarish start with Ashwin opening the attack for India. The spinner drew Niroshan Dickwella forward with his third delivery to get him stumped before trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan legbefore wicket with the sixth. The wily spinner struck another blow with the first ball of his second over when rival captain Dinesh Chandimal holed out in the deep. Sri Lanka's first 21 runs cost them their top half and only Dasun Shanaka (19)
and Thisara Perera (12) managed double digit scores in their abject batting capitulation against the Indian spinners who claimed seven of the 10 wickets. To make it worse for them, the tourists were also handed out a couple of poor decisions with Asela Gunaratne and Sachithra Senanayake given caught out even though replays did not suggest any contact between bat and ball on either occasion. Defending the paltry score, Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for 13 but Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane (22 not out) steered India to victory to ensure they remain the top ranked team in this format. Ashwin, who claimed nine wickets in three matches, grabbed both man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.
Banned Pak umpire threatens to sue BCCI
Tainted Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf hit out at the BCCI for imposing a fiveyear ban on him for corruption, saying that the Indian Board did not have any evidence to pronounce him guilty. Rauf, 59, who was part of the ICC's elite panel and officiated in Test matches, was accused of accepting expensive gifts from bookies besides placing bets on Indian Premier League matches in the 2013 edition. “What authority does the BCCI or IPL have to ban me when the court in Mumbai told the police they had no evidence against me?” Rauf asked. The ban means that Rauf, who served for 13 years as a top international umpire, is barred from umpiring or being associated with any BCCI-related activity. “The BCCI and IPL appointed an investigation commissioner and they claimed I fled from India without completing my IPL assignment which is not true. I completed all my assignments and left India in fact one day after
Asad Rauf
my assignments ended,” Rauf claimed. Rauf claimed that the police investigation had found nothing against him. “The court said Rauf earns more than 3 million rupees a month so accepting small gifts like jeans, T-shirts or caps is not a big issue,” Rauf claimed. Rauf said he would be sending a notice to the BCCI and IPL through his lawyer and will sue them for the ban which has tarnished his reputation and image. “The BCCI or IPL is no authority to ban me. Even if the Pakistan Cricket Board is not willing to take up my case, I will do it through my lawyer,” he said.